The United States (US) has the potential to lead the global transition to renewable energy. It has some of the best wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, and biomass resources in the world. It also has a vibrant culture of innovation, plentiful financing opportunities, and a highly skilled workforce, alongside an agile and entrepreneurial business sector.

REmap 2030, the global roadmap prepared by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) – assesses how countries can work together to double the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030. Under current policies and investment patterns, the share of renewables in the energy mix of the United States is projected to only reach 10% by 2030 compared to 7.5% in 2010. The REmap analysis, however, shows that the country could realistically achieve scaling up renewables to 27%. The required investment of USD 86 billion per year could potentially save the US as much as USD 140 billion annually by 2030, when factoring in the benefits of improved health and lower CO2 emissions.

Renewable Energy Prospects: USA is the second in a series of country reports that IRENA has released to supplement the range of global and sector-specific reports released since early 2014 as part of REmap 2030.